Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C3/00—Labelling other than flat surfaces
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/20—Gluing the labels or articles
  • B65C9/22—Gluing the labels or articles by wetting, e.g. by applying liquid glue or a liquid to a dry glue coating
  • B65C9/2247—Gluing the labels or articles by wetting, e.g. by applying liquid glue or a liquid to a dry glue coating using liquid rollers or bands
  • B65C9/2269—Means for controlling the liquid film on the rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/02—Devices for moving articles, e.g. containers, past labelling station
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/02—Devices for moving articles, e.g. containers, past labelling station
  • B65C9/04—Devices for moving articles, e.g. containers, past labelling station having means for rotating the articles
  • B65C9/045—Devices for moving articles, e.g. containers, past labelling station having means for rotating the articles adapted for accommodating articles of different diameters, e.g. for adapting the program of rotation to the diameter of the articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/08—Label feeding
  • B65C9/18—Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls
  • B65C9/1803—Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls the labels being cut from a strip
  • B65C9/1815—Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls the labels being cut from a strip and transferred by suction means
  • B65C9/1819—Label feeding from strips, e.g. from rolls the labels being cut from a strip and transferred by suction means the suction means being a vacuum drum
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/20—Gluing the labels or articles
  • B65C9/22—Gluing the labels or articles by wetting, e.g. by applying liquid glue or a liquid to a dry glue coating
  • B65C9/2247—Gluing the labels or articles by wetting, e.g. by applying liquid glue or a liquid to a dry glue coating using liquid rollers or bands
  • B65C9/2256—Applying the liquid on the label
  • B65C9/2265—Applying the liquid on the label continuously, i.e. an uninterrupted film
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/20—Gluing the labels or articles
  • B65C9/24—Gluing the labels or articles by heat
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65C—LABELLING OR TAGGING MACHINES, APPARATUS, OR PROCESSES
  • B65C9/00—Details of labelling machines or apparatus
  • B65C9/26—Devices for applying labels
  • B65C9/36—Wipers; Pressers
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
  • Y10T156/17—Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
  • Y10T156/1702—For plural parts or plural areas of single part
  • Y10T156/1744—Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship
  • Y10T156/1768—Means simultaneously conveying plural articles from a single source and serially presenting them to an assembly station
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
  • Y10T156/17—Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
  • Y10T156/1702—For plural parts or plural areas of single part
  • Y10T156/1744—Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship
  • Y10T156/1768—Means simultaneously conveying plural articles from a single source and serially presenting them to an assembly station
  • Y10T156/1771—Turret or rotary drum-type conveyor
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
  • Y10T156/17—Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
  • Y10T156/1798—Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means with liquid adhesive or adhesive activator applying means

Definitions

• This invention relates to labelling machines and, more particularly, to a roll-fed labelling machine that can be changed swiftly to process labels and containers of different sizes, and the like.
• Pftckqrpmifl of the invent APR Machines for applying labels to containers are quite important, especially to satisfy the high production volume needed in the mass markets of a consumer oriented society. In this circumstance, there is a need to provide roll-fed labelling machines that glue labels neatly and in alignment with the containers to which they are applied.
• glue is fed from a glue bar to a rotating glue roller that has a knurled surface.
• the glue is then transferred to appropriate label portions through a contact between the label and the glue roller.
• glue viscosity it has been the usual practice to internally heat the rotating glue roller, a practice that creates awkward manufacturing and production problems.
• the centrifugal force imparted by the rotating glue roller to the glue on the knurled surface moreover, produces an undesirable "slinging" in which the glue that is not applied to the label is wastefully slung from the roller surface.
• Labelling machines that can be adjusted to process labels and containers of different sizes are available. These machines, however, frequently require a skilled technician to spend from four to six hours to effect the adjustments that are needed to process label and container sizes that are different from the label and container sizes in the immediately preceding production run. Much more is lost, moreover, through this four to six hour delay in label machine change than just the cost of a skilled technician's time. For example, several hours spent in changing a roll-fed labelling machine to accept new label and container sizes may idle the entire production facility for the same length of time; interfere with the orderly packaging and shipment of the product; and cause the new, unlabelled product to back-up in the plant while awaiting the availability of a properly adjusted labelling machine.
• One labelling machine component is the starwheel.
• This is a large, gear-like rotating member, that engages each container to be labelled in a respective cusp formed on the starwheel circumference in order to move the containers through the various stations in the labelling process.
• Changing, retiming and readjusting the starwheel to match new label and container sizes was, perhaps, one of the most time consuming tasks in labelling machine conversion. For example, the task of moving the starwheel axis through a distance that corresponded to the new container size and in timing the operation of the starwheel to synchronize starwheel movement with the rest of the labelling machine frequently took much of a skilled technician's time.
• prior art starwheels on roll-fed labelling machines were about 2' in diameter.
• the containers, received in the peripheral cusps of the starwheel, were thus moved swiftly through the labelling process because they were at the end of a relatively long starwheel radius, thereby not only being moved with great speed, but also being subject to centrifugal force.
• the containers were advanced into the cusps of these large starwheels generally in a direction that was in diametrical alignment with the respective starwheels.
• the difficulties that have characterized prior art efforts to heat the glue roller directly in order to maintain a suitable glue temperature are overcome by keeping the glue roller diameter small, thereby avoiding large surface area heat losses.
• the smaller diameter glue roller is also thermally isolated by means of low thermal conductivity spacers at opposite transverse cylinder ends.
• a heater cartridge is embedded in the metal body of the glue bar that applies this warmed glue to the glue roller. In this way, heat is effectively transferred to the rotating glue roller.
• a heat sensing device is located on the glue bar and controls the glue temperature, thereby avoiding any need to secure electrical devices on or near the moving surface of the glue roller.
• the centrifugal force applied to the glue by the smaller diameter glue roller of the invention is greater than that which characterizes the prior art because the smaller diameter glue roller must be rotated at a higher speed to reach the same surface speed as larger diameter prior art rollers. Contrary to the ordinary expectation that this increase in centrifugal force would aggravate the glue "slinging" problem, it has been found that the problem actually is relieved.
• the glue roller makes one full revolution in less time than is required for parts of the glue pattern to draw together to form a drop large enough to be slung from the roller surface under centrifugal force.
• the glue bar applies glue to the rotating knurled surface of the glue roller.
• the roller then quickly sweeps through almost 360° while glue remaining on the roller is drawing up into a droplet. But, before a droplet can be formed, the glue is wiped from the surface of the roller by the glue bar.
• the invention also avoids "stringing, " to a large extent, through the use of a smaller diameter glue roller.
• the mechanism through which a small diameter glue roller so significantly reduces stringing is not entirely clear. Possibly, "stringing" with a smaller diameter glue roller may occur while the glue roller is still in contact with the very end of the label. If this happens, then it is possible that the strings are absorbed back on the label, on the glue roller, or on both label and roller.
• a generally arcuate infeed guide assembly guides the containers from the starwheel along a conveyor to the vacuum drum.
• the starwheel imparts a rotation to each of the containers that enables the labels that are applied to the containers at the vacuum drum to wrap completely around respective containers. After leaving the starwheel the rotating container and label combinations, moreover, are led from the vacuum drum down the conveyor by a roll-on-pad assembly.
• the starwheel in accordance with an additional characteristic of the invention, is mounted on a movable plate. This plate pivots about the axis of a bolt, which bolt also is axially coincident with the gear that drives the starwheel. In this manner, the entire starwheel assembly is pivoted about the bolt without changing the spacing between the driving gear and the driven starwheel shaft. As a consequence, there is no need to spend inordinate amounts of time and effort readjusting the drive mechanisms during the starwheel axis translations that are required during changeover to handle a different container size.
• Starwheel timing another source of label and container changeover delay, also is overcome through an alignment pin on the machine that permits a starwheel assembly, timed for a specific container size, to be clamped to the driven starwheel shaft.
• the timing that characterizes each of several selectively moun able starwheel assemblies now makes it possible to choose and install the starwheel assembly with the timing that is specific to a particular container size.
• the invention also eliminates a great deal of the labelling machine vibration and the abrasions and side-to-side motions of the product that is being labelled. This improvement is achieved not only through the use of a considerably smaller starwheel than that which has been typical of the prior art, but also through the markedly reduced contact time between the containers that are being labelled and the starwheel that now is possible with the smaller diameter that characterizes the invention.
• a starwheel assembly diameter that is no more than five times the diameter of the mid-sized container that the machine is capable of handling will produce markedly superior results.
• a starwheel according to the invention serves to separate the containers from each other and to bring them into contact with the roll-on-pad assembly and the vacuum drum. This occurs because the starwheel normally engages only one or two of the containers in the starwheel's rotational travel.
• the containers are not forced to follow the arc of a starwheel for a significant period of time but are, instead, just separated from each other as they arrive at the starwheel from the conveyor, and brought into controlled contact with the roll-on-pad assembly and the vacuum drum.
• Fig. 1 is a plan view of a labelling machine that characterizes features of the invention
• FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a detailed view of the infeed guide assembly that is illustrated in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 4 is a detailed plan view of the roll-on- pad assembly that is illustrated in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a detailed view of the roll-on-pad assembly that is shown in Fig. l;
• Fig. 6 is a detailed view, in broken section, of a typical roll-on-pad microadjus ment device, as shown in Fig. 5;
• Fig. 7 is a front elevation in broken section of the starwheel assembly that is shown in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 8 is a plan view of a component for the starwheel assembly shown in Fig. 7 that embodies features of the invention
• Fig. 9 is a plan view of a prior art starwheel
• Fig. 10 is a plan view of a starwheel processing containers in accordance with principles of the invention.
• Fig. 11 is a front elevation schematic diagram of a glue bar and glue roller that characterizes the invention.
• Fig. 12 is a plan view of the schematic glue bar and glue roller shown in Fig. 11.
• Fig. l shows a labelling machine 10 that is mounted on a mounting surface or generally flat table top 11.
• a link belt conveyor 12 moves containers or product packages 13, 14 toward the labelling machine 10 in the direction of arrow 15.
• the labelling machine 10 is designed to apply labels to containers that have a broad range of sizes, or diameters for cylindrical containers.
• this spectrum of container sizes that the labelling machine 10 can process is a mid-size container that is intermediate between the maximum and minimum container sizes the machine 10 will label.
• Containers on the conveyor 12 are first received in the labelling machine 10 by a starwheel assembly 32.
• the starwheel assembly 32 which will be described subsequently in more complete detail, moves the containers 13, 14 in the direction of the arrow 15 toward a roll-on- pad assembly 16.
• the starwheel assembly 32 brings the containers past the roll-on-pad assembly 16, which imparts a counter-clockwise rotation to these containers, in the direction of arrow 21.
• the roll- on-pad assembly 16 has a generally arcuate guide 17 that is covered with resilient padding 20. The padding 20 grips the containers and forces them to rotate in the desired direction.
• the roll-on-pad assembly 16 is removably mounted on the table top 11 by means of manually operated toggles 18 and 22.
• the toggle 22 is, as shown in. the drawing, is releasably coupled to a latch 27 that is fastened to the table top 11 with bolts 23.
• alignment pins protrude from the table top 11. As shown, the alignment pin 24 is received in alignment pin recess 25 that is formed in a support 26 that is a part of the roll-on-pad assembly 16. A similar alignment pin recess is formed in a companion roll-on-pad assembly support that is not shown because it is out of the plane of the drawing and directly behind the support 26, as seen in Fig. 5.
• the support 26 provides a mounting for the arcuate guide 17 and the guide padding 20.
• a base 34 that is generally parallel with the table top 11 is secured on one side, by means of bolts or the like, to the arcuate guide 17.
• the base 34 is connected to the end of the support 26 that is opposite to the alignment pin recess 25 by means of a bolt 35.
• Fig. 6 shows a shank 36 for the bolt 35.
• the shank 36 is received in a bore 37 formed in a generally L-shaped bracket 40.
• the shank 36 is received in a further bore 41, the diameter of the bore 41, however, is considerably greater than the diameter of the shank 36 to enable the base 34 to enjoy a limited degree of movement in the direction of arrows 42, 43, relative to the support 26, and in a plane that is parallel to the table top 11 (not shown in Fig. 6) .
• Threaded portion of the shank 36 (not shown in the drawing) is engaged in a mating, tapped recess (also not shown in the drawing) in the support 26.
• the base 34, the arcuate guide 17 and the padding 20 can move transversely relative to the support 26 in the directions of the arrows 42, 43 if the bolt 35 has been loosened.
• fine adjustments are made with respect to the position of the guide 17 (Fig. 6) and the padding 20 through the manual micrometer adjustment 44.
• This micrometer adjustment 44 has a knurled knob 45 for manually controlling the movement of a threaded shank 46 that passes through a nut 47 that is welded to the bracket 40 in alignment with an unthreaded bore 50 formed in the base of the L-shaped bracket 40.
• the threading on the nut 47 engages the threading on the shank 46 to enable a shank end 51 to protrude from the bore 50 and bear against an opposite side 52 of the base 34, the opposite side 52 being generally perpendicular to the plane of the table top 11 (not shown in Fig. 6) .
• micrometer adjustment structures 44, 53, 54 and 55 are provided in connection with the bracket 40 and the base 34 to enable fine positional adjustments to be made for the arcuate guide 17 and the padding 20.
• the micrometer adjustment structures 44 and 53 move the base 34 in the direction of arrows 56 and the micrometer adjustment structures 54 and 55 move the base 34 in the directions of arrows 57.
• a roll of labels 60 provide a web 61 of labels that is drawn through a feed roller system 62 to a cutter 63.
• the cutter 63 is placed close to a cylindrical vacuum drum 64 that has a perforated surface. Physical relationships are, perhaps, best shown in Fig. 2 for the label web 61, the cutter 63 and the vacuum drum 64.
• the web 61 is drawn from the feed roller system 62 and is pressed against a perforated surface of a cylindrical cutter drum 65 because a vacuum is drawn within the cutter drum 65.
• the cutter drum 65 rotates in the direction of arrow 66.
• a cutter blade 67 protrudes from the cylindrical surface of the cutter drum 65 to press against the web 61.
• Vacuums, or lower air pressure, within the cutter drum 65 and the vacuum drum 64 are provided by means of a conventional low pressure air system that is not shown in the drawing.
• a stationary cutter blade 70 is placed as close as possible to the surface of the cylindrical vacuum drum 64. As the rotating blade 67 and the stationary blade 70 come into registry with each other, the portion of the web 61 that protrudes beyond the nip of these two blades is sheared from the web by the action of the blades 67 and 70.
• the label 71 which was sheared from the web 61 by the cutter blades 67 and 70, is temporarily pressed against perforated surface 72 of the vacuum drum 64 because of the vacuum that is drawn within the drum.
• the spatial relation between the stationary knife blade 70, the blade 67 on the cutter drum 65 and the surface of the vacuum drum 64 is such that at the time the label 71 in the web 61 is sheared from that web, about 50% or more of the surface of the label is drawn against the perforated drum surface 72. It has been found, in accordance with invention, that the diameter of the cutting drum 65, heretofore critical with respect to the positioning, skewing or mispositioning of the label 71 on the vacuum drum 64, is of no significance if about 50% or more the label 71 is pressed against the perforated surface 72 of the vacuum drum 64 at the time the label is sheared from the web 61.
• the surface speed of the cutter drum 65 is slightly greater than the speed of the web 61. While, in turn, the surface speed of the vacuum drum 64 is somewhat greater than that of the cutter drum 65.
• the web 61 is, in this manner, constantly under tension throughout its length until the web is actually cut, causing the web, before cutting, to slip relative to both the cutter drum 65 and the vacuum drum 64. Because the majority of the label is on the vacuum drum before the cut is made, this enables the label 71 to stay in the same position on the vacuum drum 64 after the cut has been made regardless of operative speed. In this circumstance, even a small label can be cut with the vacuum drum 64 being in full control of the label at the time the label is sheared from the web 61 to assure proper positioning of the label on the drum 64.
• the severed labels (not shown in Fig. 1) are rotated in the direction of arrow 73 on the vacuum drum 64 to a glue applicator 74.
• Glue is applied to the surface of the label that is exposed on the vacuum drum 64 by the glue applicator 74.
• the vacuum drum 64 rotates the leading edge of the glued label until the leading edge of the label is approximately in alignment with a line 75 between the rotational axis of the vacuum drum 64 and the starwheel assembly 32.
• the line 75 also coincides with the termination of an arcuate infeed guide 76.
• the container 14 in cusp 77 of the starwheel assembly 32 is pushed by the starwheel into engagement with the leading edge of the label and the label wraps itself around the container 14, which container continues its counter-clockwise rotation as indicated through the arrow 21.
• the purpose of the infeed guide 76 is to serve, in combination with the starwheel assembly 32, to present the container 13 squarely to the vacuum drum 64 when the container 13 first contacts the label.
• the prior art it will be recalled, required a tedious set of adjustments to the infeed guide position in order to adapt the infeed guide to a new container size.
• the infeed guide 76 is one of a set of such guides, in which each or these guides is individually adjusted to match a specific container size.
• the infeed guide 76 is mounted on the table top 11 in a carefully aligned position established by means of infeed guide alignment pin 80 that protrudes perpendicularly from the table top 11.
• a second alignment pin (not shown in the drawing) also protrudes perpendicularly from the table top 11 in order to provide the precise alignment for the infeed guide 76 that characterizes this invention.
• the one illustrative infeed guide pin 80 is received in an infeed guide alignment recess 81 formed in the base of an infeed guide support strut 82.
• the infeed guide 76 has two support struts, the strut 82 and a strut 83. Note that it is in the base of the support strut 83 that the infeed guide alignment recess is formed to receive the alignment pin that is the companion to the pin 80, shown in Fig. 3.
• the struts 82 and 83 (Fig. l) , moreover, are releasably clamped to the table top 11 by means of toggles 84, 85.
• the illustrative toggle 84 associated with the infeed guide 76 that is shown in Fig. 3 selectively engages a latch 86.
• the latch 86 is secured to the table 11 by means of bolts, of which only the bolts 87 and 90 are shown in Fig. 3.
• the end of the strut 82 that is opposite to the alignment recess 80 is joined to infeed guide members 91, 92.
• These infeed guide members 91, 92 are separated from each other by means of an annular spacer 93 through which a bolt 94 is received in order to clamp together the guide members 91, 92.
• the guide members 91, 92 each has an arcuate shape in a plane that is parallel to the table top 11.
• the parallel guide member 91 because it has precisely the same shape as the member 92 and is spaced immediately below the member 92 can not be seen in Fig. 1.
• the guide member 92 (as well as the companion member 91 that is not shown in Fig. 1) terminates, at the end of its arcuate shape in a plane that is essentially tangent to the adjacent circumferential portion of the vacuum drum 64.
• Fig. 7 shows the starwheel assembly 32 mounted on a movable plate 100.
• the movable plate bears against and is slidable relative to the table top 11, in a plane that is parallel to the table top.
• a pivot means, or shoulder bolt 101, in accordance with the invention, is in axial alignment with the-driving gear or sprocket (only axis 98 of which is shown in Fig. 7) for the starwheel assembly 32.
• the shoulder bolt 101 in keeping with a further feature of the invention, cooperates with a clamp 102 to releasably fix the position of the starwheel assembly 32 for a specific container size.
• the entire starwheel assembly 32 can be pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the shoulder bolt 101 without changing the horizontal separation between the driving gear axis 98 and axis 103 of the starwheel driven shaft 104.
• An arcuate slot (not shown in the drawing) is formed in the table top 11 with the axes of the driving gear and shoulder bolt as the slot's center to enable the driven shaft 104 to protrude through the table top 11 and to move with the adjustments that are made to properly position the starwheel assembly 32. Consequently, to accommodate a new container size, the clamp 102 is released, the movable plate 100 with the starwheel assembly 32 is then shifted to a new position, appropriate to the new container size that is to be labelled and the clamp 102 is then reset.
• FIG. 9 shows a large diameter prior art starwheel 119.
• the containers 122 when seated in starwheel cusps 123 extend around a longer portion of the circumference of the starwheel 119. This longer arcuate travel for the containers 122 and the abrupt change in container direction and speed as each container is sequentially received in a respective one of the starwheel cusps 123 promotes the vibration, abrasion and side-to-side movement that the present invention minimizes.
• Fig. 10 shows the starwheel assembly 32 that characterizes the invention.
• the cusps 124 in the starwheel assembly typically engage not more than two containers 125 in order to minimize both the angular reorientation and speed of each of the containers 125 as they are moved by the starwheel assembly 32.
• the distance each of the containers 125 must travel along the circumference of the starwheel is, as shown in Fig. 10, significantly 'reduced.
• the smaller starwheel assembly 32 reduces both the angular displacement the container is subject to as it enters the starwheel and the distance it must travel in an arcuate path.
• starwheel members 105, 106 are coupled together and are axially spaced from each other, the starwheel member 106 and a portion of the starwheel member 105 being shown in plan view in Fig. l. Both of the starwheel members 105, 106 (Fig. 7), however, are mounted on a hub 107.
• the hub 107 supports both of the starwheel members 105, 106, for rotation in planes parallel to the table top 11.
• the hub 107 is mounted in the exact position appropriate to a specific container size by means of a draw bolt shaft 110 that clamps the hub 107 in position.
• the precise location, for timing purposes for the starwheel assembly 32 is established through alignment pin 111 that protrudes in an axial direction from a flange 112 that is secured to an end of the starwheel driven shaft 104.
• the alignment pin 111 is received in a mating recess 113 that is formed in the hub 107 to assure precise repositioning of the starwheel assembly 32 each time the assembly 32 that is shown in Fig. 7 is replaced in the labelling machine 10 (Fig. 1) .
• the starwheel member 105 as shown in Fig. 8 is provided with three, arcuate and slotted holes 114, 115 and 116. These holes receive bolts of which only the bolts 117 and 120 are shown in Fig. 7. By releasing the bolts 117 and 120 (as well as the third companion bolt that is not shown in the drawing) the starwheel assembly 32 can be timed relative to the rest of the labelling machine 10 (Fig.
• Rotating the starwheel assembly 32 through a suitable angle relative to the hub 107 to match the starwheel timing to that of the entire labelling machine, relative to the alignment recess 113 provides an alignment and an adjustment means that is integral with the coupled starwheel members 105, 106.
• the bolts 117 and 120 are tightened to effectively capture the specific timing for the starwheel assembly 32 by securing the starwheel member 105 to the hub 107 and thereby fixing the relation between the hub and the alignment pin 111.
• proper starwheel timing is immediately available for a range of container sizes by simply choosing, and then installing, the starwheel assembly that is appropriate to the next size of container to be labelled.
• FIG. 11 shows a portion of the glue applicator 74.
• a labelling glue under pressure, is pumped through a hose 126.
• the glue (not shown) flows through a nipple 127 to a glue bar 130, the glue bar preferably being formed of brass.
• a lengthwise recess (not shown) within the glue bar 130 applies a film of glue to a knurled surface 131 of a cylindrical glue roller 132.
• the transverse ends of the glue roller 132 are closed by means of low thermal conductivity isolation rings 128, 129, of stainless steel or some other suitably poor conductor of heat. Further in this regard, the length of the glue roller 132 is significantly greater than the corresponding dimension of the glue bar 130. In this way, the ends of the glue roller 132 extend beyond both ends of the wetted surface of the roller that is established by the glue bar 130.
• Fig. 12 shows, in plan view the glue roller 132 and the glue bar 130 that applies the film of glue to the knurled surface 131 of the glue roller 132.
• a heater cartridge 133 that is received in a lengthwise well 134 formed in the glue bar 130.
• the heater cartridge therefore transfers its heat directly to the metal body of the glue bar, and through the wetting action of the adhesive, transfers that heat to the glue roller.
• a temperature sensing device, or thermocouple 135 is secured to the outer surface of the glue bar 130 in order to register the temperature of the glue bar 130 and the glue within in order to keep the glue temperature within a prescribed temperature range.
• the structural combination of the glue bar 130 and the small diameter glue roller combine to produce a number of important improvements.
• the small diameter of the glue roller 132 not only overcomes a great deal of the glue "slinging” and “stringing” that accompanied prior art devices, but it also reduces the area of the exposed knurled surface 131 on the glue roller 132, thereby further reducing a source of heat loss from the film of glue that is to be applied to the label.
• the poor thermal conductivity of the stainless steel isolation rings 128, 129 in the transverse ends of the glue roller 132 make a significant contribution.
• the labelling machine 10 (Fig. 1) to apply a size of label to a container that is different from the label and container sizes in a production run just completed, the labelling machine 10 is deenergized.
• a roll 60 of new size labels is mounted on a spool 121 and the label web 61 that is drawn from the roll 60 is threaded through the feed roller system 62.
• the web 61 is passed over the cutter drum 65 and the bitter end of the web 61 is placed against the vacuum drum 64.
• about 50% or more the flat surface of the leading label in the web 61 is placed against the vacuum drum and vacuums are drawn in both the vacuum drum 64 and the cutter drum 65.
• Fig. 4 by manipulating the toggles 18, 22 to unlatch and release the roll-on-pad assembly 16 from latches 27, 30 on the table top 11, the complete assembly 16 for the preceding run of containers is lifted directly off the alignment pin 24 in Fig. 5 (and the associated pin, not shown in the drawing) .
• a differently adjusted roll-on-pad assembly 16, that is adapted to the size of container that is next to be labelled is installed on the alignment pin 24 and the other alignment pin, not illustrated.
• the toggles 18, 22 are engaged with their respective latches 27, 30 and the new roll-on-pad assembly 16 is mounted in place, correct for the forthcoming container size, subject to some micrometer adjustment.
• the infeed guide 76 for the preceding labelling production run is removed from the labelling machine 10 by manipulating the toggles 84, 85 to unlatch them.
• Fig. 3 shows the toggle 84 releasably connected to the latch 86.
• the infeed guide 76 is lifted off the alignment pin 80, as well as being lifted off the companion alignment pin that is not shown in the drawing.
• the infeed guide 76 that is appropriate to the new size container that is to be labelled then is carefully mounted on the infeed guide alignment pins and the toggles 84, 85 both are manipulated to engage respective latches on the table top 11 and thus firmly secure the new infeed guide 76 in place in the labelling machine 10. No adjustments are required. The proper infeed guide clearances needed to process the new size containers are established without a further expenditure of time and effort.
• the starwheel assembly 32 (Fig. 7) for the preceding production run is first removed by releasing the draw bolt shaft 110 from the starwheel assembly, thereby enabling the starwheel assembly with its associated hub 107 to be withdrawn from the driven shaft 104.
• the clamp 102 is released and the shoulder bolt 101 allows the movable plate 100 to be shifted to an angular relation for the starwheel assembly 32 that is appropriate 96/09213 PC ⁇ 7US95/11620
• the starwheel assembly 32 that is appropriately timed for the new container size is mounted on the driven shaft 104 with the recess 113 in the hub 107 aligned with and seated on the alignment pin 111.
• the draw bolt shaft 110 then joins the starwheel assembly 32 to the driven shaft 104 without any need to undertake a retiming adjustment. In this manner, both alignment and preset adjustment that matches starwheel member timing to the timing for the labelling machine is integral with the coupled starwheel members 105, 106.
• the entire labelling machine 10 (Fig. 1) now is energized to impart a rotation to the containers and to move these containers through the labelling machine 10 by advancing the containers into the cusps in the starwheel assembly 32. In this way, the containers are forced down the conveyor 12 in the direction of the arrow 15, through the infeed guide 76 and past the roll-on-pad assembly 16. Some further adjustment nevertheless may be needed, for example, as wear occurs.
• the roll-on- pad micrometer adjustment structures 44, 53, 54 and 55 are to be employed.
• the glue in the hose 126 is pressurized to flow into the glue bar 130.
• the heater cartridge 133 that is embedded in the well 134 is energized to warm the glue to a temperature that is within the desired range as measured through the thermocouple 135.
• the small diameter glue roller 132 is driven in the direction of arrow 136. In this respect, it is important that the rotational speed of the glue roller 132 is greater than that of the larger rollers that have characterized in the prior art.
• the rotational speed of the knurled surface 131 on the roller 132 should be equal to the surface speed of larger diameter, prior art rollers in order to permit the smaller diameter roller 132 to keep pace with the labels 71 (Fig. 2) on the vacuum drum 64.

Landscapes

• Labeling Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=23193172

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (15)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (70)

• 1995
  • 1995-09-14 DE DE69509871T patent/DE69509871T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-09-14 ES ES95932503T patent/ES2135089T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-09-14 AU AU35529/95A patent/AU3552995A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1995-09-14 WO PCT/US1995/011620 patent/WO1996009213A2/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1995-09-14 EP EP95932503A patent/EP0728103B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1996
  • 1996-04-15 KR KR1019960701932A patent/KR960704763A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1996-04-18 US US08/634,438 patent/US5679209A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1996-04-18 US US08/634,506 patent/US5688363A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events